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Real Time Software Engineer Jobs in Houston, TX (NOW HIRING)

... real-time software engineering, with meaningful time in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or another ... hard real-time domain * Deep C++ fluency and comfort reasoning about real-time constraints, latency ...

Staff Robot Platform Engineer

Houston, TX ยท On-site

$150 - $210/hr

... real-time software engineering, with meaningful time in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or another ... hard real-time domain * Deep C++ fluency and comfort reasoning about real-time constraints, latency ...

Senior Real Time Engineer

Houston, TX ยท On-site

$99K - $137K/yr

The Senior Real Time Engineer is a key technical leader supporting the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the organization's power generation fleet through advanced real-time monitoring, data ...

Senior Real Time Engineer

Houston, TX ยท On-site

$110 - $160/hr

The Senior Real Time Engineer is a key technical leader supporting the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the organization's power generation fleet through advanced real-time monitoring, data ...

New

Our Senior Embedded Software Engineer is a technical position that works in an Integrated Product ... Experience using embedded Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) (e.g., Green Hills, Integrity, Wind ...

Showing results 21-40

Real Time Software Engineer information

See Houston, TX salary details

$60.6K

$140.9K

$196.2K

How much do real time software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for real time software engineer in Houston, TX is $140,881.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,600.00 and $165,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a real time software engineer?

A Real Time Software Engineer develops software that must operate within strict timing constraints, often for systems that require immediate or predictable responses. These engineers work on applications such as embedded systems, robotics, aerospace, automotive, and telecommunications. They design, code, and optimize software to ensure low-latency performance, reliability, and synchronization with real-world events. Their role often involves working with real-time operating systems (RTOS), programming in languages like C or C++, and debugging performance issues.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a real time software engineer?

To thrive as a Real Time Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills in languages such as C or C++, a solid understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS), and a degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with development tools like debuggers, oscilloscopes, version control systems, and certifications such as Embedded Systems Certification can be highly beneficial. Excellent problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication skills help you excel in fast-paced project environments. These skills ensure robust, efficient, and timely software solutions for mission-critical systems across industries such as aerospace, automotive, and telecommunications.

What are some typical challenges faced by real time software engineers in their daily work?

Real Time Software Engineers often face the challenge of ensuring that their code meets strict timing and reliability requirements, as even minor delays can cause critical failures in real-time systems. Debugging and testing can be complex, especially when working with hardware integration and low-level system interactions. Engineers in this role frequently collaborate with hardware engineers and cross-functional teams to troubleshoot issues and optimize performance. Staying current with rapidly evolving technologies and best practices is also essential for ongoing success and career advancement in this dynamic field.

What job categories do people searching Real Time Software Engineer jobs in Houston, TX look for?

The top searched job categories for Real Time Software Engineer jobs in Houston, TX are:

Infographic showing various Real Time Software Engineer job openings in Houston, TX as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 78% In-person, 7% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $140,881 per year, or $67.7 per hour.

Staff Robot Platform Engineer

Persona AI

Houston, TX โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, PTO

Posted 27 days ago


Job description

Job Title: Staff Robot Platform Engineer
Department: Software Engineering
Reports To: Principal Software Engineer
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Houston, TX
Travel: 20%
Who We Are
Persona AI is building humanoid robots for the most demanding environments in heavy industry - shipyards, steel mills, fabrication facilities, and offshore platforms - performing welding, grinding, maintenance, inspection, and material-handling work that is dangerous, physically demanding, and increasingly difficult to staff.
We are backed by leading strategic and financial investors and engaged with global industrial leaders across Korea, Japan, the United States, and Singapore. Korea is the center of gravity for our early commercial strategy, anchored by relationships with the world's leading shipbuilders and steelmakers. Our work spans both the robot platform itself and the systems, partners, and playbooks required to deploy it at scale.
Why Join Persona AI?
  • We offer competitive compensation, a performance-based bonus, 99% employer covered medical benefits, early-stage equity, competitive PTO, and a company-wide paid winter break between December 24th and January 2nd.
  • You'll shape technology that's redefining the possibilities of robotics and human interaction.
  • Work alongside passionate teammates who value creativity, and continuous learning.

About the Role
Platform owns the foundational software that runs on the robot itself: the layer between raw hardware and everything else we build. You'll drive our real-time control stack, our hardware abstraction layer, and the robot API/SDK that every other team (controls, perception, behaviors, ops tooling) builds against.
What You Will Be Doing
  • Build and harden the real-time control loops that turn high-level commands into coordinated joint motion, with hard timing guarantees and deterministic execution from the actuator level up through whole-body behavior
  • Own the hardware abstraction layer end to end (cyclic data paths, synchronization and timing constraints, and fault recovery), so perception, planning, and behaviors never have to care which actuator, sensor, or hardware generation sits underneath
  • Design and evolve the robot API/SDK (the interface every downstream team programs against), with an eye toward long-term stability, clean versioning, and abstraction boundaries that hold up as the hardware evolves
  • Own the messaging layer connecting every on-robot process, with low-latency, deterministic delivery guarantees
  • Build the diagnostics and health-monitoring hooks (fault detection, state reporting, and safe paths for degraded operation) that let every other team trust what the platform tells them about the robot's state
  • Set technical direction for platform architecture (interface boundaries, backend abstractions, design reviews) and mentor engineers across the team

What We Are Looking For:
  • 8+ years in systems/embedded/real-time software engineering, with meaningful time in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or another hard real-time domain
  • Deep C++ fluency and comfort reasoning about real-time constraints, latency budgets, and determinism
  • Hands-on EtherCAT experience (master implementation, PDO/SDO, cyclic vs. acyclic data) or an equivalent fieldbus/deterministic networking background
  • A track record designing clean hardware abstraction layers, backend-agnostic interfaces, and/or public-facing SDKs or APIs that held up across hardware revisions or product generations
  • A bias toward architecturally simple, verifiable systems, and comfort pushing back on unvalidated assumptions in design review
  • Bachelor's Degree in computer science or related field

Bonus Skills:
  • Rust, Zenoh, Jetson/embedded GPU platforms, momentum-observer or F/T-based force estimation, Pinocchio or similar dynamics libraries

Persona AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.